Utility tool kit



Aug. 2, 1949. 1.. STRAUSS UTILITY TOOL KIT Filed Oct. 8, 1947 INVEN TOR I 00/5 5 m4 as s Patented Aug. 2, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE UTILITY TOOL KIT Louis Strauss, New York, N. Y. Application October 8, 1947, Serial No. 778,599

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to combination tools.

An object of the invention is to provide a combination tool or tool kit including a plurality of individual tool elements secured together and usable individually as desired.

Another object of the invention is to provide a combination tool including a handle or frame upon which a plurality of tool elements are carried, the arrangement being such as to facilitate the use of any particular tool element when needed, means being provided for extending such tool element outwardly from the frame and for looking it releasably in extended position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a combination tool including at least one edged tool element in the form of a, knife or the like, other of the tool elements being so arranged as to normally include the knife between them and being so extensive as to prevent any danger to the user from the knife.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a combination tool or tool kit which is simple in design, inexpensive to manufacture, and which is easily assembled or disassembled when needed.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and in which,

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of my improved combination tool, with one of the tool elements, namely the hammer in extended position,

Fig. 2 is a partly broken out left end elevation of the device shown in Fig. 1, the handle or frame and some of the underlying tool elements being partly broken out to illustrate the construction, and

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view taken on line 33 of Fig. 1.

For the casual user of tools, it has been found to be quite expensive to purchase and maintain a complete set of individual tools, such as a hammer, saw, screw driver, and the like, it being also necessary to purchase or construct a tool box to contain and safeguard such tools. The present invention provides a combination tool or tool kit including a number of tool elements carried in a single frame which also serves as a handle.

In order to understand clearly the nature of the invention, and the best means for carrying it out, reference may now be had to the drawings, in which like numerals denote similar parts throughout the several views.

As shown, the device includes a substantially U-shaped frame or handle generally shown at I and comprising a lateral bridge member l2 interconnecting two resilient legs l4 and Hi the inherent spring in which biases them toward each other. The lower ends l8 of the legs 14 and it are provided on their inner surfaces with substantially cylindrical recesses 2i} to receive the opposite ends of a shaft 22, which is retained in said recesses under the influence of their resilient bias toward each other, the shaft also serving to maintain the relative spacing between said legs.

A number of tool elements, each provided with a cylindrical shank 24, are retained pivotally on the shaft 22 between the handle legs I4 and 16 by having the shaft extend through axially aligned lateral bores 26 formed in the lower end portions of the tool element shanks, as seen best in Figs. 1 and 3. There are various types of tool elements, such as the awl 2B, the saw 30, the corkscrew 32, and the hammer 34. There are also the drill 36, the anchor jar opener 38, the edged knife 40, and the can opener 42.

Each of the cylindrical shanks 24 of the tool elements has on one side a longitudinal groove 44 formed therein, the curvature of the groove being also cylindrical to receive the cylindrical surface of the adjacent tool element shank. In this manner, when the shanks of the tool elements are mutually parallel and parallel with the legs l4 and it of the handle Ill, the shanks are all looked together in that relative position. To accomplish this, Without forming a similar longitudinal groove in the legs [4 and i6, one of the tool element shanks, namely that shown at location 46 in Figs. 1 and 3, is also provided with an additional longitudinal groove 48 in its surface adjacent to the handle leg Hi, to lock with that handle leg.

It will be seen that when it is desired to extend one of the tool elements from the handle frame, such as for example, the hammer 34, it is only necessary to pull upon that element, which results in a camming action to push the surrounding shanks and handle legs slightly apart, permitting the disengagement of the locking grooves, and allowing the shank of the hammer to be turned through an angle of degrees to its extended position.

Upon reaching this position, the shank of the hammer once again engages with the adjacent groove of the drill shank and its locking groove receives the curved surface of the shank of the screw driver 50, and is thus locked in extended position, the locking bias being provided by the spring legs I4 and It pressing toward each other.

The hammer is also retractable to the dotted broad and flat anchor opener and can opener 38 and 52 respectively. Since the ends of the shaft 22 are entirely concealed inside the recesses in the handle legs hi and it, there is nodanger of them catching upon the clothing or of injuring the hands.

It will also benoted that by spreading the ham-'- dle legs apart, to disengage them from the shaft 22, any desired tool element may be removed from the handle for repair or replacement, without use of any supplementary tools whatever and Without damaging the tool itself or the frame. With all the tool elements retracted into the handle, the combination tool or tool kit may be placed in a leather or other type of container and placed in the pocket or in the glove compartment'of an automobile for immediate use when needed. This is quite handy for all uses contemplated.

Although I have described my invention in specific terms, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in size, shape, materials and arrangement without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

A combination tool comprisin a frame in eluding a bridging member interconnecting two resilient frame legs, said legs being resiliently biased toward each other, sockets of predetermined depth formed in said legs adjacent the free ends thereof and facing each other, a shaft extending laterally between said legs and removably engaged in said sockets, said shaft being longer than the normal unsprung distance between said legs and being maintained in position within said sockets solely by the resilient actions of said legs, a plurality of tool elements carried on said shaft, said tool elements being swingable to extended positions outwardly from said frame,

and to retracted positions inside said frame, the

shanks of said tool elements being cylindrical with at least one looking groove formed longitudinally in the surface of each tool element shank to receive the curved surface of the adjacent tool element shank or frame leg when mutually parallel, whereby said tool elements are lockable in said extended and retracted positions.

LOUIS STRAUSS.

REFERENCES CITED The following referenlces are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 190,989 Stewart May 22, 1877 228,660 McDonald June 8, 1880 234,378 Pierce Nov. 9, 1880 637,135 Tozer Nov. 14, 1899 873,571 Mansfield Dec. 10, 1907 

